Chicago Bulls point guard Derrick Rose (1) scores as Atlanta Hawks power forward Josh Smith (5) defends in the second quarter of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, March 22, 2011, in Atlanta.John Bazemore
Derrick Rose had 30 points and 10 assists, helping the Chicago Bulls move back in the Eastern Conference lead with a runaway 114-81 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday night.
Chicago's starters sat out the final period after the Bulls set season highs with 41 points in the second period and 72 points in the first half. Luol Deng finished with 27 points.
The Hawks, who have lost seven of 10, were denied an opportunity to clinch a playoff spot and absorbed their first home loss to Chicago in four years.
The Bulls, who have won 10 of 11 since losing in Atlanta on March 2, began the night tied with idle Boston for the best record in the East.
Jeff Teague scored 17 of his 20 points in the fourth for Atlanta, which trailed 98-60 after three and also decided to rest its starters in the final period. Josh Smith and Al Horford had 14 points apiece, but Horford departed in the third with a strained hamstring. The Bulls and Hawks played for the third time in three weeks.Chicago led by 19 points in the second quarter of their 83-80 loss in Atlanta on March 2. Since then, the Bulls have won 10 of 11, including two lopsided wins over Atlanta.
The Hawks, who lost 100-59 to New Orleans at home on Jan. 21, came close to a second 40-point home loss. Chicago's big lead was 47 points.
The Bulls were almost perfect in pulling away from the Hawks in the first half.
With 4:50 remaining in the second quarter, Hawks coach Larry Drew called a timeout after Kyle Korver's 3-pointer gave the Bulls a 57-35 lead. Atlanta had made 52 per cent of its shots from the field and still trailed by 22 because the Bulls were shooting at a season-best pace.
Chicago's best shooting game of the season came on Dec. 21, when they shot 64.5 per cent from the field in a home win over Philadelphia. Against the Hawks, the Bulls were even better - for a half.
Rose closed the first half with three 3-pointers, including one just before the half ended. The Bulls led 72-43 at the break after outscoring the Hawks 41-22 in the second period. Chicago made 31 of 42 shots (73.8 per cent) in the half and finished at 54.4 per cent.
Fans chanted "MVP! MVP!" during Rose's spree of 3-pointers. He made 6 of 8 3s for the game.
The Bulls continued to stretch the lead in the second half. Rose had 10 points in the third quarter while earning the early exit.
Lakers 139, Suns 137, 3OT.
LOS ANGELES Kobe Bryant scored 42 points, Ron Artest got five of his 18 points in the final 2 minutes of the third overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the Phoenix Suns for a 139-137 victory Tuesday night.
Lamar Odom had a season-high 29 points and 16 rebounds in the Lakers' 13th win in 14 games since the All-Star break. Pau Gasol added 24 points, including two tying free throws with 2.5 seconds left in the second overtime in an enormously entertaining rematch of last season's Western Conference finals.
Channing Frye scored a career-high 32 points and hit three tying free throws to force double overtime for the Suns, and Steve Nash had 19 points and 20 assists in the Suns' fifth loss in seven games.
Trail Blazers 111, Wizards 76.
PORTLAND, Ore. Gerald Wallace had 28 points, his most with the Trail Blazers, and Portland routed the Washington Wizards 111-76 on Tuesday night.
LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points before sitting for the fourth quarter, and Nicolas Batum added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers, who are jockeying for playoff position in the Western Conference as the season winds to a close. Portland moved within a game of Denver for the sixth spot, and a game up on seventh-place New Orleans.
Jordan Crawford had 12 points for the Wizards, who dropped their seventh straight on the road to fall to just 1-32 away from home.
Portland led by as many as 38 points, and the starting lineup scored all but 20 of the team's points